AUGUST 6, 2014

Alonso wants $50m per year for new Ferrari deal

Multiple authoritative media sources claim Fernando Alonso wants almost $50 million a year to sign a new contract with Ferrari.

Amid his obvious frustration at lacking a third title after five years in red, and rumours he might be looking to leave the fabled team, Italian magazine Autosprint reports in its latest edition that the Spaniard is playing hardball in his negotiations for a new deal beyond 2016.

Ferrari wants a new three-year contract with Alonso, extending his current tenure to 2019, when the double world champion will be 38, the sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport also reported.

And Autosprint said it is "not just rumours" that the driver, arguably the best overall in formula one at present, wants a whopping EUR 35 million per season.

That equates to almost $50 million per year, or $140 million over the life of the new deal.

It is reportedly almost a doubling of Alonso's current Ferrari retainer, and perhaps beyond even the dizzying heights of Michael Schumacher's earning power with the same Maranello based team.

Germany's Bild newspaper is reporting the same news, claiming Alonso's new fee would be "one of the largest contracts in sports history".